While not a single snap has been taken in the Kansas Jayhawks’ 2026 campaign, one thing can be guaranteed: the wealth of experience this defense possesses is an incredible uptick from last season.
KU is reeling in over 14,000 snaps for this season; a large part comes from the NCAA Transfer Portal, which has seen 14 healthy transfers on the defense, all looking to make an impact on a defense that ranked 95th-best in the FBS last season, while conceding 409.5 yards per game and allowing 30+ points in six games last year.
Among all the incoming troops is redshirt senior cornerback Roman Pearson. Pearson was an unranked recruit coming out of Pickerington Central High School in the class of 2022. Pearson’s senior season of high school saw the now-Jayhawk total 35 tackles and one interception.
Pearson first made the move to FCS side, Bucknell. After a relatively quiet first season that resulted in just three games, Pearson saw his role take a massive jump forward. In 2023, he notched seven starts at corner and compiled 21 tackles and 2 interceptions, 6 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble.
One year later, Pearson totaled 40 tackles, 2 interceptions, 9 pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for loss while tallying 11 starts at cornerback.
Pearson then took the bet on himself and made the move to Ball State for one season. With the Cardinals, Pearson recorded 27 tackles, 5 pass breakups and 1 interception.
Pearson entered the portal ranked as the nation’s 1,644th-ranked prospect and 185th-overall cornerback with an 85-overall grade.
The Jayhawks added a nice veteran to a group that needed one
While Kansas’ numbers against the pass weren’t terrible by any means, giving up 225.4 yards per game (No. 68 in the nation), KU was often caught out when attempting to stop long runs and it felt like poorly taken angles and missed tackles overshadowed any good work that was done prior.
When speaking with the media earlier this month, defensive backs coach Brandon Shelby broke down what the experience-laden transfer offers Kansas going forward.
“The good thing about him is, he's a mild-mannered kind of young man, and he's played a lot of football. You know, he's been at so many different schools and really what he's done is he broke his way up from the lower division. And so what we get with him is a calm kind of spirit. He understands football, he takes coaching well… I expect him to kind of be a calming spirit back there, especially when university hits. So those are things that we kind of expect from him, and he's done a good job thus far.”
According to the depth chart projection website Ourlads, Pearson is set to back up left cornerback Jalen Todd. Last season for the Jayhawks, Todd compiled 44 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble.
The first chance to see the two play is well under two weeks from now against LIU in what will kick off Lance Leipold’s sixth season at the helm.
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